Globally Inclusive Design; Technologically Enhanced Options

The world is full of amazing designs, textures and colors. It used to be that if you wanted Spanish tile, you had to have a Spanish house or a tacky themed room. Design now seems to embrace everything the world has to offer: handmade Persian wool rugs, hand painted terracotta, antique Victorian finishes, industrial heritage pieces. Design seems to be heading towards a more inclusive, eclectic aim. Anything goes if it works. 

Technology has come a long way in tile. We can get a ton of textures, finishes and colors like you wouldn't believe.  The possibilities multiply every week, we are thirsty to put these options to work.

So. Much. Marble.

As anticipated, we have been seeing a lot of marble this year. Surprisingly there has been a big demand for the real thing. Technology in imaging has improved exponentially and porcelain alternatives are popping up everywhere on the supplier side of the market. The patterns have become more realistic, more varied and unpredictable; the tiles themselves have become stronger, more stable, straighter, bigger; the suppliers have become quicker to respond to trends and better at making product available. EVEN with all that, people have a fetish for the feel and look of the real thing.

Nothing can compete with the providence and history of marble. It makes your home feel like it shares a piece of history. With marble you can share decor tastes with ancient Athenians, palaces, homes of conquerors. Marble is the choice of the greatest empires in history. Its pretty cool to have your home be a part of that tradition. Today, your home is the space for commerce, for socializing; your home is the space for ruling your kingdom from. Whether its a bachelor suite or a river front mansion, your house is your castle. Marble sends that message. 

Art Construction River Front Project Update

Bit by bit, tile by tile, this house is transforming to a home. When we first started on this project, it was stripped to its bare sticks, Its amazing to see the skill involved crafting timber into a modern masterpiece. Even in the most modern of homes, at its base the work comes down to human hands: shaping, scraping,sanding, setting piece by piece. We are privileged to work along side masters. The progress is purposeful and intentional (read: slow). 

Busy Week at Allied

The state of business in Saskatoon is constantly being prognosticated; the future of small family businesses on edge depending on the fatalist murmurings and seasonal shifts. This time of year is historically the slowest for industries like ours. We have been fortunate this winter to see the clients and suppliers we've invested in come to fruition in surprising capacities. We are grateful to the people we partner with for consistently making us look good. *brushes dirt off shoulder* This week has been one of the busiest we have seen in the past 3 months and traditionally one of the least likely times to provide concrete leads. Saskatoon's business community is evolving to become more collaborative, more efficient, more custom, more ethical and we are happy to be a part of the movement. Thanks for reading through that shameless brag, here are some install pictures from this week: 

The Jarvis Job

At Allied we love getting our hands on work that breaks the mold. Custom jobs are our bread and butter. There are few things more satisfying than making a unique idea a reality. Lindsay has been working with Mark and Ryan at OTM Homes for this project.

The customer wanted to remove a wall to achieve an open concept and put a kitchen island in the space where the wall was. Under the island is a statement concrete tile from Saltillo. Its a painted concrete tile with old world inspiration and contemporary coloring. We have been waiting for the perfect project to use this tile in, and now we have found it. This kind of custom work is not common. Its labour intensive and requires a precision that is not as widespread as you would think in this industry. Luckily we employ the best (Thanks Alvaro!).  It hasn't been an easy project but we are confident it will look as great as the bathroom.

A similar concept was employed for the bathroom, the tile was inset where the wood was cut away. Looks amazing. Clean edges and even height make this old house feel contemporary. Its a bold design twist using traditional materials. 

Art Construction's River Front Project

The vision for this house is starting to take shape. Our in house tile setter has been putting a lot of hours the past week or so. Every tiled surface has infloor heat. The infloor heat has a dual purpose: it keeps your feet toasty warm and it brings the total height to the same height as the hardwood. The smooth transition lends to the contemporary feel. 

The tile has been a steady process of precision. At first progress seems next to invisible because so much of the work is in preparing the surface to be worked. Once the tile starts being placed, the pace picks up exponentially. Stay posted for more updates!

Grosvener Master Suite

We have been looking forward to announcing this project. We are combining two rooms into one breathtaking master suite. The Design Firm has taken up the mantel overhauling this bedroom for home owners Nancy and Terry.  Nancy has lived in this home since she was a child, making this project especially dear to her. It is a space made for generations to come. We will keep you posted on our progress!

CIBC; Done and Done

Our team of installers worked along side Dawn construction to complete this project ahead of schedule. We are bowing out after a job well done. Our installers worked long hours and over the weekend to help out the rest of the reno team. Can't wait to see the rest of the finishing touches come together.

We are wishing CIBC luck in their new digital venture, and to Dawn construction for their speedy finish on the rest of the project.

CIBC nearing completion

We are SO close to being done this CIBC; the deadline is tomorrow at 2pm and the bank reopens this Monday. Tight turn around projects can be a disaster waiting to happen, but this has gone shockingly smooth. We've got a great team dedicated to long hours and working around other trades people. A little bit more tile, a lot of grout, some custom tile base and we are golden. The end is in sight!

CIBC on the go

We are continuing to stay busy this winter with some large commercial projects. The CIBC on Attridge and Heal is due for a face lift. We are working with Dawn Construction and many other local and national teams to achieve a pristine finish on a tight timeline. 

We are fortunate in that our tile setter worked on the original CIBC project and is already familiar with the site! 

After losing our tile to another project, having some get damaged during shipping and a myriad of other speed bumps, *fingers crossed* it looks like smooth sailing from here out. *knock on wood*.